Sibling Relationships

Although our relationships with our siblings are usually the longest ones we have and can have an important effect on our lives, their importance is sometimes not realized or acknowledged. Although siblings usually grow up in the same family environment, each sibling occupies their own individual niche, and sibling’s niches may be very different from each other’s, varying with many factors including temperament, special needs, birth order, and fit with each parent’s personality. Family mediation is often a very useful forum for siblings to talk to each other and gain a greater understanding of each other that may help to resolve even long-standing family problems.